Long Weekend - Cuteness Overload

My weekday starts today!  Well actually it officially started yesterday, but Tuesday I work from home so I still call it a week off albeit working. (Working in your night gown still feels like a holiday J)And since I did not have to go to work on Monday being Deepavali replacement holiday that fell on a Saturday, I had a long weekend I spent with the boys. 

It was pretty good.  We planned to have it lazy, but it turned out to be busy.  Busy in a good way.  I was able to plan the week’s menu, gone to the market and did the grocery.  We have attended the weekend service and participated as a family in the field ministry. 

We took the little munchkin to Orchard Road hoping to catch the glittery lights that they usually put up around this season.  The munchkin is now into anything glittery and shining lately.  Unfortunately, the lights are not up yet, so we spent the time just walking about and of course, me taking gazillion photos of the munchkin.

Cuteness Overload!!!

And yes, we also discovered that the munchkin has 2 emerging teeth.  The first time parents were so excited! J If only he would be still and cooperate for a minute I would have taken a photo of his new little teeth.

So along with cuteness overload, I had a some side dish of cheesiness too.  Posted these two captions in my FB page.  

Ahhh to be in love and cheesy J

Hope you all had a good long weekend too!  Here’s to a fruitful week everyone!

New month...November, What Will I do to make you the most productive month of 2013?

The hubby asked me last night 5 words to describe my October.

• Challenging
• Frustrating
• Tiring
• Stressful
• But Still Amazing (I have the little munchkin to thank….oh well let’s include the big gorilla too ;))

It’s the start of a new month, and the stress is already brewing in everything I do.  But this month of November, I intend to make it different.  While the challenges and the stress are inevitable in any given month (considering the multiple roles we play every day) I intend to replace “Frustrating” and “Tiring” with “Productive” and “Enjoyable”.  So for this Month of November, I have chosen “PRODUCTIVE” as my guiding word.    Sometime back, I applied this concept of guiding word and that time I have chosen gratitude, and I find it very effective.  Alright, I digress ;) …now back to Productivity.

 

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And how do I intend to do that? That’s a good question. I actually don’t know where to start so I have listed and identified the steps I have to take and here they are.

FOCUS.  I was happily pinning yesterday when I stumbled upon an idea.  And I think it’s a great idea, something I can go and enhance for long term benefit.  I wanted to rush to the nearest DIY/Craft store and execute and plunge into my “brilliant” idea.  But I realized I still have an unfinished project that I have started, so I have to complete it before I move on.  So I will FOCUS on that first and see results.  Result = Productive.  Hopefully, by completing this unfinished project this month, this would teach me the discipline and focus to kick-off my “brilliant” idea next month.

And this goes to everything I do be it work or play.  Focus on one thing; see it to completion and on to the next task or activity.

Build extra hours into my day.  The days are long but the hours are few.  Huh?  Yes, I find that my days can be draggingly long but I find there is so little time to accomplish much.  By having extra hours in my day would spell a whole lot of productivity.  This month, I am starting my day an hour earlier and ending it an hour later.  That’s an extra two hours per day.

I intend to take care of myself and ensure the boys are in the pink of health.  Last month, the hubby was down with flu and the little munchkin caught the bug.  Having someone in the family get sick is quite overwhelming.  It puts a dent to our household dynamics.  An overwhelmed feeling saps out my energy.  Listless, lifeless are definitely deterrents to productivity.  This month, we intend to keep ourselves healthy by clean eating, right amount of rest, and regularly physical activity.  A healthy body and mind is a productive person.

With my goals for this month in place and with the above-mentioned steps to help me accomplish those goals, well here’s to a productive November!

How about you, how do you keep your day/month/year your most productive ever?

Share your tips on the comments, would love to hear from you.

Eureka! a love for baking

Wish someday I could capture a similar photo with me and my munchkin.
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Oh how food can be so nostalgic. It takes you to a time and place where your heart is.

My mom cooks the most delectable dishes and bakes the yummiest goodies.  And no; I am not saying it as a patronizing daughter.  You should try any of her signature dishes and you will know what I mean.

Back when I was still a little girl, I remember mama always used to bake those lovely pastries and cakes.  I could still smell the aroma of a freshly baked cake fresh out of the oven.  And those "buko" pie topped with just the right sweetness meringue was my all time favorite.

As a little girl when my height was just barely able to reach our kitchen counter top, I would tiptoe so I can see how mama would beat the eggs and shift the flour. I would appoint myself as her assistant.   The best part was that while the cake is baking or the cookies are cooling on the cooling rack, I would happily lick the the sweet batter or the icing from the mixing bowl.  What an assistant!

Though I certainly have not reach my mother's level of competence in the baking arena,  nor do I have any signature dishes in my belt, I do recently discovered I love to cook and bake.  And like all mom's, I hope that some little part of what I do will be remembered affectionately by my children  son.

Or perhaps a family tradition would be born out of this new found passion.  Baking Sunday or perhaps Saturday brunch cooking with Mom....

Let me share with you what we have whipped up this weekend.  Chewy oatmeal bars...Not quite there yet, but will get there in time :)

oatmeal bars

Baked Oatmeal Bars (Recipe)

Ingredients:
3 Cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees (175 C degrees)
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.  Beat eggs, milk and melted butter.  Add vanilla extract.  Stir in dried cranberries.  Spread into 9X13 inch baking dish.
3. Bake in preheated over for 40 min.
4. Cool and sliced into bars.

This is yummy with black coffee or tea perhaps.

Happy baking!!!